Silicon is a beneficial nutrient for plants and is present in the form of silicic acid (H4SiO4) in soil, minerals and ocean water. In modern agricultural systems, the nutrient solutions are mostly deficient in silicic acid and the added silicates are unable to compensate this deficiency. Silicic acid is sometimes included in the formulations of nutrients, but is not stable enough to become bio-available because they are in the form of silicates which have poor solubility in water.
Further, silicates are not absorbed by organisms that help for plant growth. Probably, silicic acid is the highest bio-available silicon compound for diatoms, plants, animals and humans. In water, silicates and silica gel are slowly hydrolyzed into orthosilicic acid, which is poorly soluble and polymerizes quickly into small particles (non-colloidal material (non-opalescent, non-turbid). These polymerized structures directly aggregate into longer chains (still non-colloidal), leading to a real network (colloid; opalescent, turbid). This process results in the formation of a soft gel, which is poorly bio-available. Hence, to use silicon in an effective bio-available way, one has to prevent gel formation of the silicic acid. Conventionally known methods do not disclose the way to improve the bioavailability and efficacy of silicic acid as a plant growth promoter.
There is a need for a composition which increases bioavailability of silicic acid and is excellent for plant growth.